JOSHUA REDMAN — Beyond (review)

Album · 2000 · Post Bop

4.5/5 · 2011-02-27
Matt

He could have been lawyer, would have made a lot more money as well but even though Joshua had graduated from Harvard and had been accepted into Yale things did not head in that direction because being the son of "Dewey Redman" music was in his veins. When he was around ten years old after a brief stint on clarinet he then took up Tenor Saxophone and has marvelled us all since with his talent. Joshua gets his influence from the greats ,"John Coltrane","Ornette Coleman","Cannonball Adderley" and of course his dad Dewey but he also has a rock,soul and funk side with a love for 'Aretha Franklin"',"Prince", "Beatles" and "Police" just to name a few. In 1991 after moving to New York he won the "Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition" and has not stopped working since. This is the second Quartet that "Joshua Redman" has formed and the band who particapted with him on this album is their first together,which is titled "Beyond". "Aaron Golberg" is on piano with that super touch that he has and what a joy to hear him play and of course he has chops after all he did play with "Freddie Hubbard" early in his career. "Reuben Rogers" is on bass and another one who has played with so many of the current players in jazz today but one of his standouts would have to be "Jackie McLean". They both have worked on over 60 albums to date with each other and alone.The drummer in the band is "Gregory Hutchinson" and the jazz giants that he has played with in the past are "Oscar Peterson with Benny Green" and "Joe Henderson". All of the band are fairly young and all with a contempary approach to the Jazz they play with a consumate skill throughout.

We start the album with "Courage (Asymetric Aria)" and bass with drums is the undercurrent with Joshua's tenor sax just floating over but things build and the composition keeps picking up and when Aaron gets his turn he is really moving along with great touch throughout."Belonging (Lopsided Lullaby)" with the title being a good description for the tune and again the muscians play superb throughout with some beautiful drums by Gregory with Joshua and Aaron inserting some great solos in a call and response form giving the composition a great build up. On track five "Balance" is Aaron coming in for the first solo on piano in this down tempo composition he has superb technique and with the tune being nine minutes in length he really gets to stretch out with some great touch. Joshua when his turn comes next builds throughout with a beautiful result."Twilight...And Beyond" which follows is a ballad and again nine minutes giving time for both Aaron and Joshua to really stretch out again with some fine low key but interesting solos. Reuben when he solos on bass the poor chap somebody is yelling "Boring" towards the end but that is not the case and after Joshua is back with some more great tenor. Back to a quicker time for "Stoic Revolutions" with Joshua first. The album has a nice mix for the compositions and one other interesting one is "Last Rites of Rock 'N' Roll" with one great low opening sax by Joshua where he also inserts high points and the Ornette Coleman influence is there with that intro but things get back to a great bop number which swings along with a great theme throughout.

Interesting and challenging music and what was yelled to Reuben is the opposite from boring as that call was only someone in the band joking with him. Great contemapray jazz and I will add the album was even better Live when I caught the band just before its release with some wonderful play from all the muscians and a real rip roaring night was had by all.